Saturday, June 20, 2009

I got up at 6 a.m. this morning trying to beat the heat. The low for the night was 76 degrees. Sigh. First thing...I saw a baby bird on the porch. He wasn't developed enough to fly yet. With my gloved hands, I scooped him up and put him back in the fern. He was so excited and upset - he jumped out again. (Our porch is concrete!) I took the fern off the hook to verify that babies #2 and #3 were still there. They were. So I scooped up the escapee and placed him right on top of the nest. He realized that he was 'home,' so settled down. I put the planter back on the hook.I got up and moving that early to spread mulch. The bluebonnets have finally dried and seeded. I'd pulled the plants up out of the flower bed and moved them down by the bigger patch of bluebonnets down between the crepe myrtles and the driveway. So...time to spread 60 cubic feet of cypress mulch. The big bed took 13 bags. Isn't this just the prettiest hosta you've ever seen - in MY garden?Time for a break with a glass of iced tea now that the temperature has climbed to 86 degrees at 10 a.m. This is what I see from the 'park' bench on the porch. Doesn't it look like a cool oasis?

I bought a couple of wind chimes the other day. This is a rooster. I love the colored glass and just the least little breeze sets him to 'crowing.'This little fellow hardly sings at all...even hung from a slender branch. I am so glad I got the rooster too!

This fellow perched on the staff that the hummingbird feeder hangs from. At first I thought it might be a parent bird...but it's not. The babies in the nest are bluebirds. I spied the mama bird with a worm in her beak waiting for me to leave. Which I did...See the empty spot in the middle? I dug out the mountain laurel. It just doesn't belong in this acidic soil in northeast Texas. I put it in a pot. Perhaps it will grow in it. I have to decide what to put into the empty spot.After spreading mulch, I poured stuff around the azaleas to make the soil in this bed more acidic. I've been putting lime around the laurel...and this stuff (whatever it is, it also has iron and other stuff for azaleas, camelias, and a host of other plants) around the azaleas. Nothing but the nandinas have been doing much good. So eliminating the laurel can do nothing but help the azaleas.

Then, as if I hadn't done enough already...just spent four hours...WHAT?! FOUR hours sweating. That is sooo unlike me! ;o) After my shower, I made an apron. I saw a regular bbq apron at a ...surprise!!! bbq place... It was a regular chef-style apron with ruffles. Sam didn't like it, but I looked it over real close from afar.

I laid my old reliable apron out and got into my scraps. That is a piece of baby blue eyelet for the body of the apron and just strips of whatever for ruffles. Even though some of the fabrics look the same, they aren't. Perhaps I need to just lay it down on the bed or try hanging it and take a regular photo...not the reflection of some poor bloated woman in a mirror. That's just so not fair! And 'they' lied! Humphf...'They' say that the camera adds only ten pounds to your figure. That is so not true. I bet in reality it's really twen...I mean thirty pounds! Betcha!!!

Are you counting down to my giveaway? Information will be in the very next post!

Friday, June 19, 2009

I had a hotdog for lunch. Complete with mustard, sweet relish, and Cheetos. The only thing that kept lunch from being a balanced meal...no chocolate. So, yogurt was on the menu for me this evening, and I intended for Sam to raid the refrigerator...there's one delicious serving of a hamburger and rice dish I've thrown together...since forever. That with salad was going to be the offering for Sam.THIS is what happened. Carol is out of town. Elton was going to be in our neck of the woods checking on supplies at the local lumber/hardware store to compare prices with one of the big stores. He called Sam. Sam and I were in the same room and could very easily make eye contact. Sam asked him when Carol would be home. Got the answer. Looked at me and asked, "What's for supper?" I shrugged, looked at him (NOTHING was between us to block his view), and said, "Not much." He told Elton, "Sherry said to come on over, that she'd fix supper. Bye."

I am flabbergasted. I said, "That is NOT what I said. I am having yogurt and you are having the last of the hamburger and rice and there's not enough for you and Elton." It was his turn to shrug his shoulders. Left the room with the lame excuse that he needed to go to the bathroom.Humphf.

Just as Elton got here, I was putting chicken breasts - that I intended to cook tomorrow - in the oven to roast. If it hadn't been for them, I would've sent the guys to town to eat and I would've had my yogurt.

Would you believe that I really and truly did forget to cook rice? Tomorrow's menu was going to be:Roasted Chicken BreastsButtermilk GravyRiceSalad

We had:Roasted Chicken BreastsBroccoli with Cheese SauceA hastily opened can of hominySalad (overkill on the greens, but remember I was going to eat yogurt so left the cheese stuff alone)Ice cream

Oh! And a loaf of homemade bread fresh from the machine. ;o) Can't forget that. I really, really shot the planned yogurt supper!How about some recipes?! I haven't posted any in a while.

Someone gave this recipe to Mama many years ago. We thought it sounded good, but had never really done much cooking with thyme. We're country people and don't hold to them fancy herbs. ;o) It was decided that I would cook it first. If Ron, my first husband, would eat it...it would pass. His name should've been Mikey...He liked it!Hamburger and Rice with a Little Thyme1 pound ground beef...not fatty but not too lean...you'll want some flavor!1 chopped onion1 or 2 cloves of minced garlicsalt and pepper to taste2 or 3 pinches of thyme1 can tomatoes, drained but reserve juice1 cup riceEnough water added to tomato juice to make 2 cups

Brown ground beef with onions and garlic. Season to taste. Stir in tomatoes. Add the 2 cups of liquid and stir. When it simmers, cover with a lid, turn heat down as low as it'll go and cook for 20 minutes. Don't peek! IF you must, wait at least 15 minutes. And if you do peek, you might as well give it a quick stir.I looked at my earlier posts and can't beiieve I haven't posted this delicious gravy recipe! The only time I make it is when we have roasted chicken and rice.Buttermilk Gravy

1 cup chicken broth (I pour 1 cup water in the roasting pan to make certain I have broth for this. Sometimes I have to add a bit of water to get the 1 cup back.)1/4 cup buttermilk3-4 tablespoons floursalt and pepper to taste

Heat chicken broth. Whisk flour into buttermilk and whisk into chicken broth. Season. Heat until thickened...just barely simmer. DO NOT BOIL THIS! It will not get thicker but seems to break down the buttermilk and it's not as good. If it doesn't get as thick as you want, dip out a small amount of the thin gravy and whisk in another tablespoon of flour. Pour that into your gravy and heat until thick.

Take notice!!!! This is my 198th post. I will be having a giveaway for the 200th post. And I know exactly what it will be! Just two posts to go before the announcement.

The giveaway for my 100th post was a patch for a motorcycle vest like this:

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Ah! Life's trials and tribulations. The difference one day makes. No. Problem not resolved, but it's one of those things happening to someone else. It affects me indirectly...because I know part of what's going on...and someone has tried to drag me into the middle of it... Sigh. Some people make living life so hard.

To those of you who read the original post and have been praying for me...why don't you continue to do so. ;o) And throw in the others I didn't mention.